The Past, Forgotten
by iEmma1313
Summary: Len Kagamine is a hardworking father who is raising his daughter alone, is becoming depressed, working two jobs, and desperately trying to forget the bitter incidents from when his wife was still around. Rin is his daughter who is facing vicious bullies and doesn't want to worry her dad. Can they learn to lean on each other for comfort, especially when they need it most? R&R! C:
1. Beginnings

**Hello all! So. This is really the first time I'm going to post a story then write as I go. The first chapter took a while for me to write, but I got it! :) I know I've been dead for a while, but I've risen from the grave!**

**There aren't really any pairings in this story yet. If there are, I shall inform you.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, Len would be cuddling me right now.**

**I've decided to try the playlist thing, so here it is!**

**Songs: Emitting Invisible Smoke, Chocolat Beats, Mozaik Role, and Matryoshka: Marasy Piano Version.**

**I know. I listen to Vocaloid quite a bit =u=**

**Welp. Enjoy!**

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"Rin, it's time to wake up. You have school."

Rin forced her eyes open and moaned. "Thirty more minutes…"

Her father smiled gently and sat on the edge of the bed. "I already gave you thirty minutes. You'll be late if you don't get up."

She propped herself on her elbows as Len Kagamine opened the blinds and let the rays of light flood into her room. She sighed, slid her glasses onto her nose, and threw her legs over the side of the bed as her father lingered in the doorway.

"Breakfast is ready. I made some bacon and eggs. Your favorite." He flashed another gentle smile and walked off.

Rin stood up and stretched. She had a dreadful headache that morning, but she figured that it would wear off soon and shuffled into the kitchen.

Her father was waiting there, reading a book and sipping a cup of coffee. He never ate in the morning. Or, maybe, he grabbed something from McDonald's and just never told her.

"Morning," she mumbled, plopping into her chair and hungrily eyeing the plate of eggs and bacon before her.

"Good morning," Len replied, putting his book down. "Did you sleep okay?"

She nodded and stuffed a piece of bacon into her mouth. "I slept like a rock."

"That's good." He yawned and took another drink of coffee.

"Two questions," Rin said, scrunching up her nose. "One, how can you drink black coffee, and two, why don't you eat breakfast?"

"I put some sugar in it, but that's just how I like it. And, I had to eat bacon and eggs every day for fourteen years. I only make it because you love it so much. Now I'm used to not eating breakfast."

Rin nodded and took a drink of her milk. "I've got to have it. I get cranky if I don't eat."

Len chuckled and continued reading. "You're a growing girl, you need to eat. Plus you're so darn skinny."

Len was a very simple man. He was thirty-six at the time and was raising his fourteen-year-old by himself. He grew up in the Deep South with a poor family and very over-protective parents who, to this day, he could barely speak to. He loved his little Rin greatly and couldn't even think of what would happen if she felt that way about him. She was his everything, she was always first.

Rin finished her food and set her plate in the dishwasher. "Thanks, it was good."

They both got up and began getting ready for work and school. Len dropped Rin off at Crypton High and left for work.

She walked to her building and stood at the normal spot. Her best friend was obviously a bit late, but she soon saw the green-headed girl come bounding down the walkway.

"Am I late?! Am I late?!" she exclaimed, grabbing Rin.

She rolled her eyes. "Chill, you're fine. The bell obviously hasn't rung yet. Geez, Gumi, you need to relax."

Gumi sighed. "Thank God! My mom is the slowest driver in the world! I couldn't get her to go for anything!"

"So, did you watch Project Diva last night! I can't believe he went home!"

"Oh, I know! I like him he was cute!"

"Are boys all you can think of?"

The girls were deep in their conversation when they heard a familiar scoff. "Of course you losers would watch _that_," the snooty voice said.

Rin sighed and turned her head. "Leave us alone, Miku. I don't want your crap right now."

The tealette flipped them the middle finger and walked off to go flirt with some guy with blue hair. Gumi shook her head. "God, I hate her."

"I know. It's like she enjoys being a jerk."

Rin wrapped her arms around her middle. She was praying that she wouldn't come back for more along with her little followers. She adjusted her glasses and looked down.

Gumi saw the look on her best friend's face and set a warm hand on Rin's back. "If she upsets you so much, I don't see why you just don't tell on her…"

"Don't you get it? If I say something, she's just gonna screw me even more!" Rin threw her hands up. "I don't see why I can't just get the guts to throw an insult back at her."

"You're not going to get anywhere by fighting back, you know," Gumi said, tapping her feet together.

She nodded reluctantly as the bell rang. The students filed into the building and crowded the hallways, not moving very quickly. Rin growled and pushed her way through a crowd of preppy girls and made her way to the classroom as Gumi kept a firm hold on the sleeve of her uniform. They finally made it into the classroom and sat down, opening their binders and copying the board before the bell rang.

Rin was a smart girl. She was at the top of the class and had great potential for the future. She passed every subject with flying colors and was a favorite among the teachers. She never got in trouble and was well-known for having 100's in almost every class, except math and science; those, she had 97's, but that was still pretty amazing.

She was shy and hated being the center of attention. Her classmates asked her for help quite frequently, as they claimed she was good at explaining things. Len was very proud of her and had a right to be.

Mr. Hiyama walked inside and closed the door behind him. "Good morning, everybody. Hopefully you all studied for your test today, considering it will count twice. And, report cards will be handed out soon, so this could help pull up your grade."

Gumi smiled. "I studied my _brains_ out last night," she whispered.

Rin chuckled. "That means you don't have any left to take the test!"

They shared a quick laugh before the teacher began checking their homework. He reached Rin's desk and smiled as he scribbled down a 100 for her grade.

"Oh! Rin!" Gumi said, leaning forward, "could you show me this problem? It was way too confusing for me to get…"

Rin nodded and turned around as she showed Gumi her homework and explained the equation. She turned back around as Mr. Hiyama began going over it, calling on random people to answer each question.

He then passed out the test and allowed everyone to start. Rin grinned as she checked her answer and proved herself right. She wasn't one of those people who would just hope it was right; she was going to be sure.

She soon enough cleared the bonus and got up to turn her paper in. She pulled out her book and began reading, bobbing her foot up and down.

The class seemed to fly by, because it felt like only five minutes until the bell rang. She was due for gym with Coach Kamui, then reading with Mrs. Yowane, and then she could get lunch.

Gym was boring, considering they were allowed free play that day. Rin and Gumi had a game of volleyball, even though they were both terrible. They got tired and sat by the wall and talked for a while, then were allowed to change back into their uniforms.

Rin and Gumi raced to their lockers. They grabbed their binders and walked into Mrs. Yowane's classroom. They appeared to be first that day.

Mrs. Yowane grinned. "Hello, girls."

"Hi, Mrs. Yowane," they said in unison, sitting down. They saw they had no work on the board, so Rin turned around and set her elbows on Gumi's desk.

"Continuing our conversation from before. Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns, or Animal Parade?" she asked, smiling brightly and fiddling with the bow on her head.

Gumi leaned her head back. "Tale of Two Towns. I can marry Ash."

"You marry Ash? I love Cam!"

"Pff, he's a florist! He doesn't have to work at all!"

"Yeah he does! He goes away every Monday to work! And he doesn't have the annoying little sister!"

"Yeah, but Ash doesn't have a gay adoptive father."

"Howard might not be gay. He's just very in touch with his feminine side."

"How do you know it hasn't rubbed off?"

"No way! Ash is a little midget."

They laughed and Gumi lifted her finger. "Okay, what about Run Factory: Tides of Destiny? Who then? Aden, James, Bismarck, or Joe?"

Rin rolled her eyes. "_Not_ Joe. The hair is too much. But I adore the other three~!"

Gumi clasped her hands in front of her chest as the classroom began to fill up. "I just love James! His hat is adorable!"

Rin giggled and turned around as Mrs. Yowane called class to order. She called roll and announced they would simply be watching a movie called_ Story of Evil_.

_Oh, I cry when I watch this movie!_ Rin thought, sighing greatly.

The teacher started the movie and the class watched. In about ten minutes, they were dismissed for lunch. Everybody walked to the lunchroom and grabbed their trays.

Unfortunately, they were having that mysterious meat stuff that they served in little Styrofoam cups.

Rin made a face. "Ugh! That's gross!"

Gumi nodded. "I'll have turkey and cheese, thank you," she said, grabbing one of the sandwiches sitting on another tray.

They had a very meager lunch of sandwiches, salad, and sweet tea, but it was enough for them. They sat down at their usual spot at the end of the table.

Gumi took a big bite of her sandwich and covered her mouth so she could speak. "So, didn't you say your dad got another job?"

Rin nodded. "Yeah. I thought the first one was good enough, but I guess not. Maybe it got the bills paid but didn't really have enough left over, I don't know. I don't pay the bills."

"Yeah, or maybe he's saving up some cash," Gumi said.

"Maybe. I hate how much he has to work, though. Maybe he just doesn't like being around me or something."

"No, he loves you. He wouldn't get a second job if he didn't care, right?" She shrugged and cracked a smile at her friend.

Rin sighed inwardly and propped her head on her elbow. "Yeah, you're right. He promised me that he'd take me out so we could do something when he gets a day off," she said.

Gumi nudged Rin's arm. "Yep! See there, he's trying. Have you told him about… Miku?"

Rin shook her head and hunched her shoulders. Miku was beginning to be a problem. The verbal attacks were really starting to get to her. "I don't want to yet."

"You should," Gumi said quietly, "he can help."

"I don't want his help, he's busy enough. How do I even know that he cares at all?"

"Rin, don't say-"

"But what _if_?"

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**Crappy ending. But I had to stop somewhere, cos the next chapter will be more focused on Len! Hey, leave a review real quick, would you? I would love some constructive criticism :) **

**(Oh yeah, sorry about the Harvest Moon/Rune Factory thing in the middle. They're video games, really good ones!)**


	2. Blast from the Past

**I am irked. I found three grammatical errors in the first chapter. I probably should do a bit of a better job proofing my stories! I'm sorry!**

**Playlist: Don't Mylist Me! (Rin Kagamine), Waste (Foster the People), 1925 (Ashe's English version)**

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Len sighed and walked out of the conference room. He was quite confident about that client, but he still wasn't sure. He'll be in trouble if they don't get a sale.

He rubbed his neck as he sat at his desk and resumed working on his article. That was one bad thing about journalism; his neck was always killing him. He took two Advil and kept working, his fingers flying away at his keyboard.

He looked at his watch. He'd be off soon, but he would then have to go straight over to the news station and get to work there. He was so tired, but he had to keep his eyes open; he could just drink more and more coffee.

The night before, he had been up very late. Worrying. He worried that he wouldn't get by that month, or that the bills wouldn't get paid, or that they would end up having to cut back on food or something. What if Rin got sick and had to go to the doctor? Doctors are expensive…

He sighed and crossed his arms. He felt he wasn't the same. He had been feeling so much differently lately. His favorite pastime was to pick up a book and get reading, but now, that just wasn't what he wanted to do.

All he could do now was finish this article, get it over with. This particular crime hadn't quite piqued his interest like others did. In fact, nothing seemed to entertain him the way they used to. He figured he was just getting old, even though he was only thirty-six. Maybe he was one of those people who aged quickly?

The remainder of his shift dragged on until eleven, then he had to run over to WCRC-TV as a writer for the show. He arrived and walked to his desk, where he saw a list of things he had to do: call the chief of police, speak with a multitude of councilmen, and write a few articles… He would have to hurry in order to finish in time to pick Rin up.

He was deeply focused on a particular article when he heard someone walk up behind him. He turned around in his chair and saw none other than Luka Megurine, the head meteorologist at the station.

She smiled and leaned down to look at his article. "That's about that recent robbery, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's coming more quickly than I expected."

She regained her posture and crossed her arms. "Y'know, you're doing great here. The other writer we had gave crappy articles with lots of errors. He didn't get the proper research done, either. I guess we just needed someone who was taught for journalism."

"Even though mistakes can be corrected just by looking at it, it's important to get it right so the anchors don't have to worry about it. The guys who transport it to the teleprompter don't do any spell-checking," Len said, shrugging.

Luka nodded in agreement. "The ratings have gone up since you came. I was skeptical that a better writer would improve that, but I was wrong."

Len grinned. "Thanks. I apologize, but if you'll excuse me, I have to hurry. I'm running late, so if I don't hurry I won't be able to pick my daughter up from school."

"No problem, I understand. Don't want that to happen, now do we? See ya," she said, walking away.

Len turned back to his computer and resumed typing. He thought for a moment and pulled out his phone to text Rin. "I might be a little late today, since I'm really busy. If you don't see me, ask Gumi if she'll wait with you."

Within a few minutes, Rin texted him back. "Alright, I understand. She said her mom can deal with not getting home. :)"

Len chuckled. "Please be sure to thank her mom. Bye, love you."

"Love you, too Dad! :)"

He smiled and set his phone down. For some reason, he found it quite funny how she used a smiley in almost every text she sent. He stretched and finished the article at about two forty-five, which gave him just enough time to rush over to get Rin.

He showed up at the school at ten after three. There he saw Rin waiting with Gumi. She spotted him and waved goodbye to her friend, then walked to his car and got in. "Hey, Dad," she said, smiling brightly.

"You're in a good mood. How was your day?"

"It was pretty good," she replied, buckling her seatbelt and setting her bag on the floorboard.

Len pulled out of the parking lot and began heading towards their house. "How do you think you did on that test?"

"I think I did really good. There was just one problem I had a bit of trouble with, but even if I miss it, it shouldn't be a big problem."

He smiled and glanced over at her. "That's great. Hey, I was thinking we would go get Chinese tonight. What do you think?"

"That sounds awesome!"

He laughed and nodded. "Chinese it is, then. I'm sorry I was late, I had a whole bunch of stuff to do at the station today."

She raised a brow and adjusted the air conditioning. "Really? I was going to ask why you got another job. Was the other not enough?"

"More or less," Len said, making a turn. "It paid the bills, but we didn't really have enough left over to buy the things we needed, like food and clothes and all. It's not too bad, my new job isn't much different from what I have to do for the newspaper."

Rin furrowed her brows. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've gotten a job to help out."

"No, you're young. You need to enjoy yourself while you can. You have plenty of years ahead of you to spend worrying, trust me."

She looked away. "I was planning on getting one anyways."

Len frowned. "If that's what you would like to do, feel free. You understand where I'm coming from, right?"

"Yeah, I do. You want me to focus on more important things, like school and friends and all."

"Right," Len replied slowing to a stop at a red light. "I believe that you're old enough to make your own choices. I don't want you to feel inclined to help out by sacrificing your time. Plus, I'm your dad, so it's my job to support the family."

Rin smiled gently as he sped forward and soon enough pulled into their driveway. "I get it. You didn't have as many freedoms when you were young, did you?"

They got out and Len shook his head as he unlocked the door. "No, I didn't. We were poor and my parents were insanely overprotective. They wouldn't even let me close my door."

Rin raised her brows. "Wow. How did you get any privacy?"

"I didn't. They were constantly barging in. Plus, they thought they could have a say in what my career would be."

They walked inside and Rin set her bag in the chair by the door, then pulled out her homework. "Hm. How did you take care of that?"

Len took off his coat and stretched. "I told them that they weren't about to go and plan my whole life. As soon as I turned eighteen I was out of the house and working." He grinned and turned towards his daughter. "You won't be that hasty, will you?"

Rin laughed as she sat at the table and began working. "Of course not! I don't intend to high-tail it out of here. I want to take my time, earn some cash and work on getting into college." She looked up. "What do you want me to be, Dad?"

Len thought for a moment as he grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge. "As long as you make enough to get along and enjoy what you're doing, that's fine with me."

He sat across from her and pulled out his laptop to work. He preferred to do some at the office and then the rest at home so he balance it easily and not push himself too much; his boss liked that idea as well because his articles were better that way.

They were quiet for a good while, both drawn into what they were doing. Rin slammed her book shut and got up. "Well, that was easier than I thought."

Len smiled as he closed his laptop. "I've finished mine, as well. Do you want to go ahead and order dinner or wait a while?" he asked, standing up and heading towards the kitchen to retrieve the takeout menu.

"Now is okay. You know what I like," Rin said, peeking her head out from the threshold of the door.

"Sweet and sour chicken and lo mein."

"You know how simple I am!" she chirped, walking into her room and closing the door behind her.

Len shook his head and ordered their food. He sat down and waited the ten minutes for the food to get ready. He then informed Rin he'd pick of the food, locked the door, and began driving towards the Chinese restaurant.

He was patiently waiting for the food to finish cooking when he heard the door open behind him. He dismissed it and paid for his food, then took the bag. He gasped inwardly when he saw the two people entering the building and approaching the front desk.

There was Neru Akita and a familiar-looking man.

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**CLIFFHANGERS!**

**I'm sorry this one isn't as long and that it took me a while to update. Busy busy busy!**

**Tell me, readers, who do you think Neru Akita is? I have big plans for this story, and although it may not come along as quickly as I would like, it is indeed coming!**

**I really hope everyone is enjoying. Leave a review! It would make me happy :)**

**Also, if anyone feels I could improve this in any way, feel free to comment. I am all about constructive criticism.**


	3. The Incidents with Neru Akita

Hey y'all. Here is a new chapter! :D Hope you enjoy!

Playlist: Professor Layton Theme Songs (For, like, every game), Spinning Song, Skeleton Life

Len looked down in hopes of hiding his face. He gulped and walked past them, praying that she wouldn't notice him. He was just about to make it out the door when he heard his name being called.

"Len? Is that you? My, I haven't seen you in years."

He sighed and turned around. "Yeah, it sure has been a while," he replied, hints of sadness in his voice.

He could make out the stench of alcohol on them both. She was wearing a simple denim jacket and an orange shirt underneath with jeans and flip-flops.

The man with her was also in rather casual attire; he wore jeans and a button-up black shirt. He had short blonde hair that was a bit lighter than Len's. He wasn't quite as tall as he was, either.

Neru smiled awkwardly and slid her hand through the crook of his arm. "Well, small world, isn't it?" she said, trying to eliminate the unnerving silence.

Len nodded, frowning. He didn't like the idea of seeing his ex-wife; she only brought bad memories, and it wasn't like he hadn't been thinking about the past lately.

She grinned and raised her brows. "So, how is Rin? Is she doing okay in school?"

Len smiled gently. "Yeah, she's good. She's at the top of her class."

"Wow, that's amazing! She sure is smart, you must be proud," she said, tightening her grip on the man's arm.

He nodded. "Yes, I am. Well, she's waiting at home, so I'd better go." He nodded goodbye and made a hasty exit, then sped home, praying that he wouldn't get pulled over.

He reentered the house and went into the kitchen, where his daughter was sitting. "Hey," she said, smiling brightly. "What is it?"

"Uh, nothing, just bumped into someone," Len replied, clearing his throat and setting the Styrofoam boxes on the counter.

Rin got out two plates. "Who was it?"

Len bit his lip and sighed inwardly. "Your mother."

"She was there? Why do you look so sad about it?"

He lowered his head. "She was there with another man."

"Why would you care?"

Len helped her bring everything to the table. "I guess it's time for me to explain it, isn't it?"

They sat down and Rin furrowed her brows. "Explain what?"

"What happened with your mother and I."

When Rin came along, Len's life became brighter. He had wanted a daughter, and God had finally blessed him with one. He loved her more than anything and vowed he would do everything in his power to make sure she was brought up well. He never forgot how soft she felt when he first held her, how she smiled so brightly at him.

His wife, Neru, was also elated that they had a daughter. They were going to have another child soon, but the doctor told her she would not be able to have another. Though they were both disappointed, the joy that Rin brought into their lives made up for it.

Rin was the best thing that ever happened to Len. He didn't mind all the responsibilities that came with having a baby. He thought they were so worth it.

However, he noticed that Neru had been going out more, coming home later, growing more distant. Rin was about three when he decided to finally see what was going on.

It was one of the nights Neru was sure to come home late. Len tucked Rin into bed and went to sit in the living room to wait for her.

He waited for a few hours. It was around midnight when Rin got out of her bed and padded into the living room where Len was sitting.

"Daddy?" she mumbled, sleepily rubbing her eyes, "why are you up? And where's Mommy?"

She crawled into her father's lap and he enveloped her into a loving hug. "She isn't home yet. I'm waiting for her to make sure she's okay," he said, gently rubbing her back.

A few minutes passed and Rin fell asleep in her father's arms. He was just about to put her back into bed when he heard the door unlock.

He got up, holding Rin. She opened her eyes and turned a bit to where she could see while Len walked towards the door.

There Neru was, about to kiss another man.

He gasped and opened his mouth to speak. However, he couldn't form any words. Rin furrowed her brows. "Mommy, who's that?"

"H-he's a friend," she said nervously, taking a step away from him.

"I thought you said you would only kiss Daddy, though."

Len set Rin down. "Yeah, what happened to that?" he asked in an accusatory tone.

Neru cleared her throat. "Rinto, I'll call you later," she whispered to the man, signaling for him to leave.

He shook his head. "No, you won't. I want to know what's going on here."

"So do I," Len said, gently taking Rin's head in his left hand. She grabbed onto his leg and he narrowed his eyes at the other two. "I'm putting Rin to bed. If you would sit down, we can _talk_ soon."

He knelt down and picked her up, then carried her to her room. He set her on her bed and tucked her in. "Daddy, what's going on?"

He looked away, pondering what to tell her. She was so young, there were so many things about this that she wouldn't understand. "Mommy hasn't been honest," he said quietly as she grabbed his hand. He stroked her tiny palm with her thumb, as over time, he noticed that even the smallest action like that could relax her.

"Who was that man?"

"I'm not quite sure myself."

She squeezed his thumb and wrapped her arm around her teddy bear's neck. "Is everything going to be okay?"

Len smiled gently. "Of course. I'm going to make sure you get taken care of. You're always _first_."

She grinned back at him as he leaned down and gave her a kiss. "Goodnight. Sleep well." He turned off the light and pulled the door to behind him, something he wouldn't normally do.

He grimaced as he walked back into the kitchen, where Neru and the strange man were sitting. He looked rather annoyed, but when Len came back in, his expression softened. "Sir, I'm sorry, I had no idea she was married."

"How did you not see the ring on her left finger?" he said, trying not to raise his voice too much. Although he knew Rin wasn't asleep and wouldn't be drifting off anytime soon, he would rather her not hear yelling coming from the kitchen.

The man shook his head and shrugged. "She had a ring on her right hand, not her left."

Len turned towards Neru and frowned. "Why weren't you wearing it?"

She gulped and remained silent.

Another cliffhanger.

I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! How about you leave a quick review? It would mean a bunch! :D

It was getting to be a bit of a longer one, so I decided to leave it there. I needed to find somewhere to stop anyways.

Thank you for reading!


	4. A Father and his Daughter

**My goodness! I think I might actually finish this! :D Ugh, my chapters are getting shorter and shorter! That annoys me.**

**This chapter, I feel, is a bit more sentimental. Rin and Len get to understand each other a bit more.**

**Playlist: Shiawase no Hako (Iris; It's from Professor Layton)**

**^^ I've seriously had that song on repeat cos I love it so much. The music is so pretty 3 I see this song as background music to this part. It really adds mood. :)**

**Also, I think it's about time we added a pairing! Rin's first, but it's a secret as to who it is :3**

* * *

Rin frowned as she took another bite of her food. "I never knew what happened," she mumbled, furrowing her brows.

"I wanted to wait until you were about this age to finally tell you the whole story," Len replied. He had barely touched his food while he detailed the events to Rin.

She sipped her drink. "What happened after that?"

"Rinto left after apologizing. Me and Neru talked and I told her I wanted to be over and done with it. She began packing that instant. I told her that she needed to tell you goodbye, but she said she wouldn't do it. She just left it to me to explain that she wouldn't be coming back."

"She just left? Where did she go?"

Len shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know. After she was gone, I went to check on you. You were still awake. I remember you asked me what was going to happen. You don't know how bad it hurt me to see your face after I tried to explain that she was going to leave. But I had to leave her. If I didn't, God knows what she would've done to you."

Rin bit her lip and stared at her lap. Her father was looking off into the distance, his face holding no emotion. She felt so bad for him, because her mother just let him have all the work. She saw how tired he looked. He got up and leaned on the counter, staring out the window

She had always wondered why he never let her go and see her mother. She had always thought it a bit selfish that they split up all those years ago, supposedly without thought of how their daughter would feel.

Now, she realized that he did indeed do it for her. She was sure he would've stayed if he could have. She could see that he still loved her mother and wished she hadn't made the choices that she did.

Tears threatened to overflow her eyes as she got up and walked towards him. He turned around and she saw the sadness and pain in his eyes. She felt bad for every time she thought him to be selfish. She felt bad for not feeling she could trust him.

Len saw the look on her face and instantly worried. Rin saw this and pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face into shirt. He could feel tears through the thin fabric and wrapped his long arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said, holding back sobs.

He gently stroked her flaxen hair. "What for? If anyone is apologizing, it should be me. I kept that from you all these years."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry for everything. Everything."

Len still didn't quite understand. "I'm sorry for not trusting you all the way, and for thinking that you divorced was selfish, and for not getting why you didn't let me see Mom, and-"

"Whoa, there," Len said, pulling his daughter's head away from his chest. "These things are understandable. You were so young, and I never explained what had happened. I didn't want you seeing her because, first of all, I don't know where she is, and second, I don't know if she's still the raging alcoholic that she used to be. I get why you felt this way." He smiled gently at her and pulled her glasses off her face to clean them on his shirt.

She smiled back, loving and hating the way her dad could just take all of her guilt and throw it out the window. She sniffed as handed her glasses back, no longer stained with tears and smudges.

Although Len was a bit hurt that his daughter didn't entirely trust him, he did understand where she was coming from. Rin was the kind of person to kept things close to the chest, and it took a lot to make her want to discuss any issue, as she easily got frustrated.

He pulled her back into a hug. "But you do know that you can tell me anything, right? I won't get angry, and I would never judge you for anything."

Rin nodded. She knew this was true. When she admitted to doing something bad, Len never got mad at her; he simply calmly reprimanded her and, if necessary, gave punishment; but the consequences were never anything too drastic. They usually consisted of a few more chores or getting something taken away for a while. He never, _ever_ spanked her, not even when she was a child.

He was also right about not judging her. In her time, her interests changed. Len never thought anything she liked was strange. He respected her current interests and encouraged her to be an independent thinker.

"Now, is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

She shook her head again, not letting go of him. "No, there isn't. However," she said, "I have been thoroughly obsessed with Harvest Moon lately."

Len laughed and looked down. "Really? Have you beaten the game yet?"

"Ha, I'm nowhere _close_!"

Rin sighed and leaned on her locker for a moment. The day was tiring, considering she had been given multiple tests that day. She thought that all the teachers just got together and decided to throw a bunch of tests at them on the same day.

She adjusted her glasses and turned around, spinning the lock and humming a tune. _41, 21, 10…_ She opened the door and stuck her binders inside.

The hallways were rather quiet, considering that she and Gumi took their time getting out of the classroom. She shut her locker and turned around, then began walking.

The talk she had with her dad the night before had put her in a better mood. After that, they cleaned up and sat in the living room for a long while, just talking about random things.

Rin had enjoyed that night with Len. She readjusted her bag on her shoulder and smiled at the ground as she kept walking.

Suddenly, she ran into someone, falling over and dropping her backpack. A few things spilled out and the other person knelt down to help her pick them up.

"Crap, I'm sorry! I should pay more attention…" Rin said, gathering a few things.

The person stuffed her books into her bag. "No, no, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been watching where I was walking. I was deep in thought."

He helped Rin up and she got a good look at him. She knew he was in her grade, and in Honors, but they had different classes.

He was tall for his age and very lanky, with black glasses very similar to hers. His silver hair was tied in a high ponytail just like the way her father wore his hair. The boy's eyes were a deep red, and he very pale. He had a very simple brown one-shouldered bag that looked stuffed with books and such.

She smiled and stuck her hand out. "I'm Rin Kagamine. It's nice to meet you."

He shook it and grinned back. "The name's Dell Honne. A pleasure to meet you, as well. Aren't you and I in the same grade?"

"Yeah. We just don't have the same schedule," Rin replied, shrugging her shoulders. "You're Mrs. Yowane's son, aren't you?"

He nodded. "Yep. Hey, I have to go. Mom asked me to stay here at school today instead of walking home like I usually do."

"Okay. Well, it was nice to meet you," Rin said, taking a step forward.

She then heard the shrill voice of Miku Hatsune. "Hey, look! Nerd love!"

Her followers laughed at Miku's "joke". "What do you two do, discuss Algebra all the time?"

Dell sighed and his brows met in frustration. Rin blushed and hunched her shoulders a bit. "Nice meeting you," she said, loud enough to where the others could hear.

She then walked away in a rush. She made it out of the building and saw her dad waiting for her out in the parking lot. "Hey, Dad," she said, getting into the car.

He smiled, like he did every day. "Hey, there."

"Sorry I was late. I wasn't paying attention and bumped into someone," she said, laughing nervously.

"It's alright, it's not like I have anywhere to be today."

As Len drove, he glanced over at Rin. He noticed a bright blush covering her face and he smiled mournfully. Somehow, he knew that this person she bumped into was a boy. A boy that she had taken a liking to.

When Rin finished her homework, she logged onto Facebook. She saw that there was a friend request from Dell, and without thinking, she accepted it. As soon as she did so, she checked her messages and saw that Dell was online.

She clicked on his name and typed slowly. She had to force herself to push the enter button.

"Hey."

* * *

**1,492 words. That should be good for this chapter! C:**

**So, it is RinxDell. I am honestly a fan of these two, so I decided, why not?**

**Leave a review? It would mean a bunch!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, all! Thanks to those who reviewed :) I've been working extremely hard on this story. My parents have had to deal with me telling them every time someone reviewed. I don't know how they raise an insane, writing-obsessed and constantly-fangirling-about-her-current-obsession person like me.**

**Playlist: Like, all the music from Professor Layton. And the instrumental to Spinning Song.**

**I can't stop listening to this stuff. It's too great.**

**I'm glad you guys like the RinxDell pairing. I agree that Len needs someone to love, so he will soon find someone, since so many have suggested that he get a lady friend. =w= It won't be in this chapter, though. Please don't hate me for adding all these non-RinxLen pairings! But the main pairing is the father-daughter relationship with Rin and Len, no matter what!**

* * *

Rin balled her hands into fists and closed her eyes. She wanted him to reply, but then again, she didn't. She saw that he had seen the message and was typing. "Hey. Sorry about crashing into you today, I'm so clumsy, lol."

She smiled and typed, "No, my fault. I was in a daze, just thinking. So, wyd?"

"Just sitting here, trying not to die of boredom. I don't feel like playing any video games now…"

"Neither do I. I feel like a terrible gamer for saying that though."

"Haha, so do I. You play video games? I didn't think girls liked them."

"Yah! I play stuff like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and Professor Layton. I honestly like Left 4 Dead and Minecraft as well."

"I love Left 4 Dead and Minecraft. I've played Rune Factory, it's good, and so is Professor Layton. Phoenix Wright is awesome, too!"

Len happened to be passing by Rin's room and heard the taps on her keyboard, then those little pauses. He knew she was chatting with someone. He smiled and kept walking.

He didn't really know if it was a boy, he just had a feeling. He knew this day would come, the day Rin got a crush on someone. Of course, he felt a bit nostalgic, remembering the days when she thoughts boys were icky and that the only boy she needed was her Daddy.

However, he knew he couldn't stop her feelings. He remembered the first crush he had. He liked a pretty girl in his class. He asked her if she wanted to hang out after school, and he recalled how happy he was when she said yes.

They dated until high school graduation. She broke up with him when she said that she was going to go live somewhere else and go to college. He had seriously felt like he was in love, and it broke his heart when she left him. But he made himself forget her, and that made him feel a bit better. Now, he couldn't even remember her name.

He pondered knocking on Rin's door and just checking on her. His curiosity was getting the best of him, but he decided that he would just leave her be.

He walked into the living room and sat down to read. Just as he sat down, his neck began to ache again. "Crap," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

The Advil hadn't really been working. His neck still kept hurting him. Maybe it was the pillow he slept on? He figured he'd just have to try one of those plushy pillows that were supposed to contour to his neck or something.

He closed his book back, no longer feeling like reading. He didn't want to watch TV; he didn't even know why they had one. He didn't watch it, and neither did Rin; she had a TV, but she really only played games on it. He thought it might just be best to sell it and put the DVD player in her room.

Darting his eyes around the room, he spotted a tall pink book on a shelf. He got up and pulled it out, then saw that it was an old picture album.

"I haven't looked at this in ages," he said to himself, plopping back on the couch and turning it to the first page.

The first picture was of Neru and him. She was holding newborn Rin in her arms and Len gently stroked the baby's cheek with his thumb, smiling brightly.

The second was of him and Rin, asleep on the couch. It had been late at night when Rin woke up crying, but Len had gotten up and rocked her back to sleep, eventually drifting off himself.

Len smiled at the little curl of blonde hair she had. They thought she wouldn't ever grow any hair. He flipped the page to a picture of Rin laughing hysterically while Len swung her around at a family get-together on Easter.

Suddenly, he heard Rin's voice. He jumped and turned around. "You just about scared me to death," he said, sighing greatly.

"What's that?" she said, leaning over the couch.

"I found this old picture album over there and took a look. Wanna see?"

She nodded and hopped over the top of the couch, crashing down beside him. They flipped through it, Len explaining every picture.

They came to one of when Len was young. He was lying on his stomach on his bed, reading a book. "I remember Mom took this when I was about your age."

"Wow, I knew you were a bookworm, but I didn't know that you were when you were my age."

"Yeah, I read just about every book in the school library."

They came to a picture of a five-year-old Rin in a pink princess dress. She was putting a sparkly crown on Len and serving him some "tea".

The next was one of Rin sitting in her dad's chair on a day when he brought her to work. She always loved to sit in his lap while he worked ad try to read what he was writing.

Soon enough, they had finished the whole album. Rin bit her lip and stared at her lap. "Dad, what was your first crush like?"

He smiled, crossing his arms. "Normal, I suppose. We started hanging out, then we began dating. Why do you ask?"

She blushed madly. "Just curious."

"Would you happen to have one?"

She grinned and chuckled nervously. "Maybe… A little teeny tiny one…"

The next day at school, Rin was waiting the final bell to ring with Gumi. They were laughing together when a girl from their class, Lily, walked up to them. Lily was a nice girl, but Rin and Gumi didn't hang out with her very much.

"Hey, Rin, is it true that you're dating Dell Honne? Cos Hatsune is tellin' everyone that you are."

Rin's mouth gaped open. "_What?_"

"Yeah. She came up to me and said it, but I wanted to see if she was serious."

"No! We're not! We just bumped into each other in the hall yesterday!"

Gumi shook her head. "They didn't know each other until yesterday, either."

Lily sighed. "I didn't think it was true."

"Is she saying anything else?"

"She also was telling people all kinds of crazy stuff about your mom. I don't think it's true, though."

Rin clenched her teeth and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "What has she said about my mom?"

Lily thought for a moment. "Stuff like, she's always hangin' out in the bar and takin' drugs. That your dad had to divorce her cos she was crazy."

Rin put her hand over her mouth as Lily kept going. "She's also been sending people texts, telling people insane things to make them want to think you're a creep. Things like you're a hacker, or that you're actually emo… But I know you aren't."

The bell rang and Rin and Gumi put their stuff away. "This is bad, very, _very_ bad," Rin said, leaning against the lockers.

Gumi hugged her friend tightly. "Listen, you just can't let them get to you. Just know that they're doing it to be jerks, be the bigger person."

Rin nodded and said goodbye. Thankfully, it was Friday, so she wouldn't have to deal with it for two days. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't get to see Dell, but she figured that she would just talk to him on Facebook.

She was leaving the building when someone stuck their foot out in front of her and tripped her. She looked up and saw Miku, walking away and laughing.

She sighed when she saw her knee beginning to bleed. She dug a Band-Aid out of her purse and stuck on her knee.

When she got into her dad's car, he saw that there was something wrong with her. "Hey, what is it? And what happened to your knee?"

She sat down and looked away. "I haven't had the best day. And I tripped on the way here."

"We'll fix it when we get home, it looks pretty bad. What made your day bad?"

"Just… A bunch of little things that annoy you."

Len eyed her suspiciously. "Are you sure that's all."

Rin forced a chuckle. "Yeah, just kinda annoyed. I'm glad it's the weekend."

"Well, would you like to go do something tomorrow? We could go out to eat or something."

Rin smiled. "Sounds good. Let's do that."

* * *

**I don't like this ending. -.-# But it'll have to do.  
**

**I'm tearing it up here! I hope you enjoyed :) While you're down here, how about you leave a review? :3**

**This one wasn't as long, but the next will be longer, I promise! I'm sorry I just now got the bullying thing in; I was hoping to get the story behind Len first, to make Rin and Len understand each other more.  
**

**Thanks for reading! :)**


	6. Worries

**I apologize for the late update! *bows* I was at my friend's house yesterday and today, and I didn't have my laptop. Plus, we were watching Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**I'm not going to bother doing the playlist thing until I start listening to some music OTHER than freaking Professor Layton. I. Am. Obsessed.**

**Thank you for reading! I really hope you have enjoyed it so far, and I've tried to apply anything anyone has told me. Like I said. This girl is all about constructive criticism.**

* * *

Len had noticed that Rin was acting a bit strange. Something seemed off when he asked her on the ride home from school.

However, when she got home, her mood seemed to improve. He fixed her knee for her, just the way he had done for her throughout her whole life.

She stood up and stretched. "Well, I guess I'm just gonna go and chill for a while," she said. "I also might want to practice a bit more before I have to go to piano."

Len smiled. He sure was glad he had her take piano at a young age; now, she couldn't imagine stopping. She was at the classical level, and knew some very challenging songs. He loved to just be sitting around and hear her start playing. She was so good at it, and he thought the sixty dollars each month was well worth it. She also took violin, and the sounds that came from it were no longer the squeaky kind that hurt your ears.

"What song are you playing for recital?"

"A song called _Iris_. It's from Professor Layton." (A/N: I COULDN'T RESIST)

"From what I heard, it sounded really good. Are you going to invite Gumi?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course~! She said she wanted to hear me play it."

Rin always got excited for her recitals. She loved being able to show what she had learned. She chose not to do something on violin yet because she felt she could make room for improvement.

She walked into her room and sat down at her computer. She logged onto Facebook, hoping that Dell would happen to be online. She saw the little green dot beside his name and smiled.

"Hey! :)" she said.

He almost instantly replied. "Hey, there. Well, have you heard?"

"Depends on what you're talking about. Miku's been telling people we're dating, when it's quite obvious that we aren't."

"I know. Plus, she's been spreading all kinds of stuff about me. I hate her."

"Me, too. And yeah, I heard about some of it. That makes me mad that someone would want to do that."

"Yeah. Well, let's get off that topic. Whatcha up to?"

They chatted for a long time. Rin finally told him that she had to go, as she was going to practice her piano, and saying this caused them to talk for ten more minutes. She finally went offline and walked over to her keyboard, placing her fingers on the keys.

She began with a few basic scales, and then some very simple tunes, then her recital piece. After she practiced for about thirty minutes, she got up, grabbed her bag, and went to tell her dad that she was ready to leave.

He drove her to the large Methodist church. Her teacher there was known for being very good what she did. They walked to the second floor and Rin played, her teacher offering corrections to her.

Afterwards, Rin asked if they could go to the mall. Although Len really disliked going, he reluctantly accepted.

They decided to just eat there, since the food actually wasn't that bad. They stopped at Subway, as they were both in the mood for sandwiches.

Once they finished eating, they walked around, stopping in random stores that they passed. As they came by the music store, Rin spotted something and they went inside.

She stared at a grand piano with wide eyes. "Look, isn't it beautiful?"

Len nodded. "Yeah, it is."

Rin sat down on the stool and began playing, her fingers gliding across the keys. "It plays just as pretty as it looks," she said, getting up.

As they left the store, Rin was talking about how a harpsichord sounded when she spotted a familiar face. Len saw her blush violently when she widened her eyes as the boy began to walk over to her.

"Hey, Rin," he said, scratching his neck. "Didn't expect to see you here…"

"Heh, heh, yeah… Didn't expect you, either."

"Was that you playing in there? You're great at piano," he smiled gently and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Rin gestured towards Len. "This is my dad. Dad, this is Dell, he's the guy that I rammed into at school."

Dell shook his hand and grinned awkwardly. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kagamine."

"Nice to meet you, as well."

Rin bit her lip. "Who are you here with?"

"My mom. She's in Victoria's Secret. Thankfully, she gave me some mercy and let me wait outside."

They laughed and heard his mom's voice. "Hey, I've got to go. It was nice meeting you, sir. Bye, Rin," he said, nodding towards Len then walking away.

Rin's face went red again and Len frowned. He knew for a fact that Rin had taken a liking to him, but there was something else wrong with her. She seemed… Off.

They finished looking around and headed home. It had gotten quite late, so Len decided that he would try to get some rest that night and hit the hay.

He told Rin to be in bed by eleven thirty and held back a yawn. She nodded and resumed her game. "Night, Dad," she said.

He closed her door behind him as he left her room. He shuffled to his bedroom and crawled into bed, turning off the light and shutting his eyes.

Though he was absolutely exhausted, he couldn't sleep. Many different thoughts (mostly worries) crept into his mind.

_Oh, God, did I pay that bill? I'll have to check… And something is wrong with Rin, I know it. Is it that boy? He's not that bad. I hope she isn't dating him. No, no, she would tell me. Right? If that little twerp has tried any funny business, I swear I'll tear him apart. Plus, they just met. Rin is not like those other girls, she wouldn't date a guy that quickly… Or without my permission._

_But there's something else wrong, I know it. Is she sick? I hope she isn't sick. I might have to take her to the doctor, she needs a check-up anyways. It might be something at school. I wonder if anyone is bothering her. No, no one would do that, would they? I thought people liked her, she's a good kid. But I can only wonder… I'll have to ask her tomorrow. I think she needs new glasses, too…._

He turned over, pulling the covers to his chin. His neck ached, yet again, and he sighed greatly. He was in for a long night.

Rin yawned and looked over at the clock. It was only nine-thirty, and she was getting sleepy. She saved her game and walked over to her desk to get on the computer.

She logged onto Facebook and saw she had a message from Lily. "Hey, Rin. Bad news. You might want to look at Miku's page."

She gulped and typed her name into the search bar, her fingers already trembling. She looked at her Miku's wall.

"I heard that you-know-who's mom is always at the bar. I wouldn't be surprised if she turned out the same way, lol! I really despise some people. Who's up for a good prank? I have a victim! XD"

In the comments, people had asked who she was talking about, and Miku bluntly said that it was indeed Rin Kagamine she was referring to. Some peopled even _agreed_ with her. Rin put her hand over her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.

She messaged Lily, thanking her for telling her about what Miku had said. She thought about what Gumi said, advising her to tell her dad.

_He has enough to worry about,_ she thought, sighing greatly and closing her laptop. _Plus, I'm not a sissy, I'll get through it. I can handle her._

She once again rose to her feet, this time to walk over to her keyboard. She turned down the volume and played so that she could hopefully get her mind off things.

It was about tent thirty that she figured she should get in bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Len, however, was still awake, just trying to force himself to sleep. He had figured that maybe if he prayed, then he would doze off. Church had always made him sleepy, so he thought praying might have the same effect.

* * *

**I don't like this ending, either.**

**Hey, you guys, why don't yall leave a review? :3**

**As soon as school starts, I'm gonna be crazy busy! I have dance, homework, piano, and I might start taking violin soon. I want to learn Orange Blossom Special for my Daddy 3 (I know, I might be too old to still call him that, but it just seems Southern girls just call their fathers that their whole lives. My _grandma_ still does! :P)**

**However, I fully intend to keep writing this. I'm not giving up now! Gotta keep going!**


	7. Wrecked

**Crap. Late update. Again. *bows lower***

**I'm sorry, stuff has just been really crazy recently. It's explained at the end vv However, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Len walked into the station, cup of coffee in hand, dark circles under his eyes and slightly hunched shoulders.

Luka saw this, detecting the stress he had apparently been having. "Len? You alright?" she said, her eyes following him as he walked towards his desk.

"Yeah, I just didn't get rest over the weekend. I was just thinking."

She smiled warmly, glancing over at the radar on the computer screen. "About what?"

Len sighed and started on his work. "Lots of things. Bills. Things we need. But mostly Rin."

"Oh, is she okay? She isn't sick, is she?"

"No, thank God. Something's just been very strange about her, she seems a bit distant." Len had begun writing already, his fingers flying across the keys and making little taps.

Luka furrowed her brows, looking at the blob of green over their area, showing they were in for rain. "I wonder what it could be."

"So do I," Len replied, nodding. "It makes me worried. Plus, she's been talking to this boy… Good God, I knew this moment was going to come, but it sure does suck."

"I'm sure it does. Have you met him?"

"I have, and he actually seems alright, but yet, I can't stand the kid. I think it's instinct."

Luka laughed, turning around in her chair. "Probably. I know my dad hated the first guy I dated."

"You aren't married, are you?" Len asked, turning to face her as well.

She shook her head. "No. I caught my fiancée with another woman," she said in a low voice.

Len turned back around. "Yeah, I know how it feels."

"You were cheated on as well?"

He simply nodded.

"I'm sorry."

He nodded again.

The conversation died as they returned to their work, forgetting that the other person was even there. The day dragged on, and three o'clock came. Len drove to Crypton High and picked Rin up.

She grinned at him and closed the door. "Hey."

"Hey. Have a good day?"

"Yessir. Homecoming is coming up."

Len smiled. "I remember my Homecoming dances. They mostly consisted of my friends and I just standing around because we were too nervous to ask any girls to dance."

She laughed, setting her bag in her lap. "Gumi and I have always danced together. We danced to Caramelldansen."

"Hey, I have to go do an interview today," Len said, glancing towards her. "I'll have to leave around four thirty. Would you like to invite Gumi over or something?"

She nodded and pulled out her cell phone to call her friend. "Hey, you want to come over today? We can study for that test… Dad has an interview with someone… Yeah, yeah, we can… Yes, we have them… Hey, can you bring those CDs over? You know, the ones by Dateken. Ooh, and Aimai Elegy… Yeah, I got some stuff by Wonderful Opportunity… Seriously? I gotta check that out! Well, I'll see you. Just come one by, kay?"

Len pulled into their driveway and unlocked the front door. Soon enough, Gumi's mother dropped her off.

"Hi, Mr. Len," she said as she passed him in the kitchen.

"Hey, Gumi." Len grinned as Rin bounded into the kitchen.

"Did you bring them?"

"Yeah, I did, chill out."

They walked into Rin's room, chatting loudly. Len shook his head and returned to his work. He didn't quite get those two at times, but it was quite entertaining to listen to them.

Eventually, he heard hysterical laughter coming from their room. He chuckled and got up to tell them that he was about to leave.

Rin had left her door open, and he peeked inside. They were apparently playing a video game, in which Rin's character was hitting a child with a sword.

"How does he not die?" Rin said, laughing.

"I don't know. Try throwing another rock at him."

Len lingered in the doorway. "Hey, I'm fixing to leave," he said.

Rin jumped and turned around. "Oh my gosh, you scared me!"

"Sorry. What are you guys playing?"

"Legend of Zelda. We're trying to kill this kid."

"Did the kid make you mad or something?"

"Yes." Rin threw a rock at the child's head, which only made him flinch.

Len nodded. "Well. I'm off. Bye."

"Bye, Dad. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Len hopped into his car and began driving. He pulled onto the highway and glanced towards the seat to make sure he had his notepad.

He returned his attention to the road. He was a pretty good driver, save a few speeding tickets. But, you wouldn't go ninety miles an hour without a good reason. And he told the judge flat out that he was in a hurry. So, the judge offered him a bit of a discount because he was honest.

He came to an intersection and slowed to a stop at the light. It turned green and he pressed on the gas.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a car flying towards him. He was about to slam his foot on the gas, but it was too late. The car had rammed into the side of his vehicle, and for a split second, he saw the red truck coming for him, about to hit him.

His life flashed before his eyes, and he prayed that he wouldn't die. He felt the car scrape across the pavement. An overwhelming pain consumed him, and before he knew it, all he could see was destruction.

He tried to move, but the pain got even worse when he tried. He didn't have enough strength to call for help, as if he would know anyone.

His eyes threatened to close, but he forced them back open. _Don't you die,_ he thought to himself. _Please, God, don't let me die. There are so many things I want to do and see… I want to raise my daughter, please, just let me live for that._

He wouldn't dare look at his arm. He had always been squeamish and seeing it would not help. Suddenly, he heard someone calling. "Is anyone there? Can you hear me?"

"Help! Please, help me!" he responded, using what little energy he had.

He saw someone from the hospital and sighed. Had they already been called? How long had he been sitting there? "Don't worry, we're going to get you out of this thing," they said, trying to force the car door open. The seatbelt also proved a problem, considering it had gotten stuck, but it was cut so the medics could get to him.

They successfully removed him from the car and got him into the ambulance. Thankfully, the hospital was nearby, so they wouldn't have to drive too far. He had managed to stay awake, but the pain was almost unbearable.

The medics were kind to him, encouraging him to stay awake until he got hooked up to the machines. They began giving him blood and fluids, then wrapped his wounds and gave him some painkillers.

A nurse entered the room, holding a glass of water and some more medicine for him to take. She asked him if he wanted anything.

"I want to see my daughter."

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**I know it's rather short, but I wanted it to end a certain way. I hope you enjoyed!**

**Like I said, it's been insane. My friend's granddad is in the hospital, and she is very worried, so I've been talking to her since she's very upset. Then, my mom had to go to the ER, but it turned out to just be Vertigo. And all this happens when my uncle is very sick. Plus, my brother is here, so I naturally have been spending time with him.**

**I'm sure it's not as crazy compared to some things, but everything is happening so fast. I apologize for making excuses… But I'm gonna start working on the next chapter right now!**

**Leave a review though? :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the continual support of the story! C: You guys don't know how much it means to me when I see a new review or follower or favorite 3**

**My mom and my uncle are getting better, but my friend's granddaddy didn't pull through. Thank you for the concern though :**

**I included a random short at the end today. I've decided that I'll do shorts containing memories that Rin and Len have had1 And, I promise, the next one will be more "in season" :P Enjoy!**

* * *

Rin glanced to the clock. Her dad had said earlier that he'd be home at about five-thirty, but it was almost six. She gulped and tried his cell phone again, and just like the other attempts, he did not pick up.

Suddenly, she saw a call from a number she didn't know. She hesitantly answered and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Rin? This is Luka Megurine, one of your father's coworkers."

She gasped inwardly. "What is it? Is he okay? He's late coming home, and I'm really worried about him."

She could hear Luka sigh greatly over the phone. "He's been in a car accident."

Tears welled up in her eyes and she put her hand over her mouth. "A… An accident?"

"Yes. He told the nurse to call me and ask me to bring you to the hospital so you could see him. So, I'm on my way. Is that alright?"

"Yes, ma'am, thanks. Do you need directions?"

"Please, don't use any formalities or anything. And, yes, I do."

Rin sank into a dining chair. "Sorry, that's what Dad taught me." She told Luka the way to get to their house, and she hung up a bit later.

While she waited, she grabbed a few things for the hospital. She assumed that Len wouldn't get to go home that night, so she grabbed him a change of clothes and a few other things, like a toothbrush and toothpaste and an extra pillow. She also grabbed the book he had been reading since he certainly wouldn't be watching any TV while he was there.

She also packed a bag for herself, as she fully intended to spend the night. She wondered what she would do about school, but she didn't care. It wouldn't kill her to miss a day; she could ask Gumi what they went over.

She saw Luka pull up in a white car and walked out the door, locking it behind her. She got in the car and Luka smiled warmly at the puffy-eyed teenager and moved the bags to the back. "You sure are responsible."

"Dad has enough to worry about," Rin muttered, buckling the seatbelt.

Luka nodded and gripped the steering wheel. "Your dad's a good man. He loves you more than anything and works hard to make sure you're taken care of."

Rin stayed quiet, simply nodding her head and holding back tears. Her day had been terrible- Miku had been pestering her without refrain, and had almost reduced her to tears with the horrible rumors she had been spreading. Now, so many people felt differently about Rin. She got strange looks in the hallway. She noticed people whispering. It made her feel so out of place, like a fish out of water.

She hugged herself and bit her lip, readjusting her glasses. "Yeah, he is."

The rest of the car ride was quiet. They eventually reached the hospital and got out. Rin grabbed the bags and followed Luka through the sliding doors of the ICU.

They were led to Len's room, where he was staring out the window. Rin gasped and tears ran down her face. Len was hooked up to machines, monitoring everything they could possibly detect. His left arm was in a cast, and his pinky finger was wrapped. Rin could see the outline of a cast on his leg under the sheet, as well. His head was bandaged near his temple, and his arms showed cuts and bruises. It looked like he was having trouble breathing.

It seemed like a chore for him to turn his head. But, his face lit up when he saw Rin. He tried to sit up, but she stopped him. "No, don't, you'll hurt yourself!" she said, dropping her bags and rushing to his side.

"I'm afraid I'm already hurt," he said. His cheek was bruised as well.

He managed to lift himself up enough to give her a hug, but she could see that hurt him. He looked towards Luka. "Thanks, I couldn't think of anyone else I'd trust to get her."

Luka smiled gently and walked over to the other side of the bed. "It's the least I could do."

Len wiped the tears from Rin's face and flashed a pained smile. "Don't cry, please, I'm going to be fine." He did the best he could to give her another hug, but a sharp pain in his chest hindered him from doing so.

"How do you feel?" Rin asked in between sobs, trying to clean her glasses. "Where do you hurt at?"

Len frowned. "My chest, my neck, my head… And my arms and legs hurt, too."

At that moment, the doctor came inside holding the results of the X-ray. "You must be his daughter, yes?"

Rin nodded and moved so the doctor could reach him. "Yessir, I am."

The doctor smiled. "Well, before he told us a thing about his injuries, he wanted us to make sure you had a ride here."

He introduced himself as Dr. Meito Sakine. Rin knew that he was her history teacher's husband. He sighed and handed the X-ray to Len. "It appears you have two broken ribs. If they're not operated on, then they'll surely puncture an organ."

Len gulped and stared at his lap. _I've never had surgery before… And that's probably a God-awful amount of money…_

"He needs an operation?" Rin said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Dr. Sakine nodded. "I'm afraid so. If you would kindly excuse me, I have to check on his wounds."

A nurse led Rin and Luka out of the room and to the waiting area. Rin stared out the window, holding back more tears.

Luka turned her head towards Rin. She sighed and put on her jacket. She knew that Rin was very distressed by the incident with the wreck, but there was something else. _So, that's what Len was talking about earlier,_ she thought, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"Are you okay?" she said, unsure whether or not she would get the obvious.

"No." Rin shook her head and sniffed. "Today has been a terrible day."

Suddenly, Rin's phone rang. She answered it quickly, hoping to evade the conversation. She heard Dell's kind voice and smiled. "Hey there, what's up?"

She sighed greatly. "Dad's been in a car wreck. His injuries are really bad."

"Oh my gosh, is there anything I can do? Do you want me to tell my mom so you can be excused?"

"Yeah, that would be great. I don't think I should go tomorrow."

"Well, the reason I called is I have some bad news."

She furrowed her brows. "What is it?"

"I'm gonna feel bad if I tell you, your day has been crappy enough," he huffed.

"Tell me."

The tone of her voice sent chills down Dell's spine. "Miku's been talking. Again. She's been saying stuff on the Internet, I think."

Rin gripped the phone more tightly. "Stuff like?"

"Like that your mom is cheating on your dad. That you have an eating disorder, that you have mental problems, that you're emo… All kinds of crap."

She sighed greatly and looked down. Once again, she had to fight off tears. "Just ignore it."

"Don't you get it? You've _been _ignoring it!"

"I'm not saying a word to anyone!" Rin quietly exclaimed, not meeting Luka's gaze.

She saw the doctor come in for them. "Listen, I'm sorry I got annoyed. I have to go, the doctor's back."

Dell sighed. "It's alright, I understand. We'll talk later. Bye, keep me posted."

Dr. Sakine led them outside Len's room. He looked at his clipboard, flipping through countless papers. "Mr. Kagamine will be better after we operate. We just need to repair his ribs. Afterwards, we can give him medicine for the pain. However, I have one question for you, Rin."

Rin looked up and nodded. "Yes, what is it?"

"Are you aware how stressed your father was?"

* * *

**DUN DUN DDDUUUUNNN**

**Random Short Time~!**

**Warning: Cheesy fluffy cuteness alert. You have been warned.**

* * *

Len was sprawled out on his bed, lying on his stomach. His hand dangled off the side, unmoving. The room was dark, considering it was five in the morning and the sun hadn't even begun to rise.

He had worked tirelessly the night before, making cookies and wrapping presents. He had countless papercuts and not a single bit of tape left in the house.

Suddenly, little feet began padding through the house, running towards his room. "Daddy, Daddy! Santa's been here!"

Rin jumped onto his bed and shook it, startling him. "Daddy, you've got to wake up! Let's see what Santa brought!"

Len groaned and sat up. He smiled when he could see his five-year-old's smiling face. "Okay, just give me a minute."

She waited patiently while he threw his legs over the side of the bed. He stretched and got up as she grabbed his hand and started pulling it. He swore she had the strength of a bull.

She squealed with joy when she saw a multitude of presents under the tree. She ran over to the coffee table and saw crumbs from the cookies they had left the night before. The Coke they had put out the night before was empty and the can was crushed.

"Daddy, let's open presents!" She plopped down on the floor and began tearing through a small box wrapped in pink paper.

She was delighted to see all the Barbie dolls she had gotten. Although they weren't as exciting, the clothes she received were nice as well.

Len opened his few presents and smiled as Rin opened another. He adored seeing how happy she was on Christmas.

When they finished, she jumped and ran to her room. When she came back, she was holding something behind her back.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hands," she said.

Len shut his eyes and put his hands in front of him. He felt a piece of paper be gently placed there. He was allowed to open his eyes and he saw a folded piece of copy paper.

On the front was an attempt at drawing a Christmas tree. He opened it, and inside were the words, "Happy Christmas Daddy! I love yo Love Rin 3 :)"

There was also a smaller piece of paper with two stick people who were supposed to be them. Rin pointed to it. "You can put that in your wallet."

Len smiled as Rin crawled onto his lap. He hugged her tightly. "Merry Christmas."


	9. Recovery

**Hey you guys :) Thanks for all the reviews the last chapter got! It really made me happy! :D**

**Finally decided to listen to something other than Professor Layton.**

**Playlist: Layla (Allman Brothers), Shibuya (Becca), Karakuri Burst(Rin and Len Kagamine)**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! :D Sorry for the late update, things are still dying down. I need to try harder.**

**Warning: I did not do enough research for this, so if the events are inaccurate, please don't hate. I suck at anatomy.**

**And, I've discovered it's quite difficult to type with a bandage on your finger.**

* * *

Rin shook her head. "What do you mean, 'stressed'?"

"Well, it's obvious he hasn't been sleeping the way he should, and the headaches he's told me about probably came from it." Dr. Sakine flipped the papers back over and tucked part of his stethoscope into his coat pocket. "You might want to go talk to him."

Rin nodded and walked back into Len's room. He turned his head and smiled warmly. That smile was a smile that didn't look like it belonged to someone troubled. It was kind and caring. Rin had seen that same smile every day of her life. It was the smile that had always comforted her, had always stopped her tears, had always been sure to make her feel better.

"Dad, why didn't you tell me?"

His brows met in confusion. "Tell you what?"

"About how stressed out you are!" She sat down beside him and sighed.

He looked away and cleared his throat. "Think. No parent would tell their child if they're strained or not."

Rin nodded slowly and stared at her lap, pushing her glasses up. "You have a point," she said. "I'm sorry I was short with you. Things have just been very crazy."

He placed a warm hand on her shoulder, smiling brightly. "I know they have. And you have no reason to apologize, the way you reacted is completely understandable, it's my fault for not telling you."

There he went, eliminating all guilt. That's what Len had done all through Rin's life; he managed to take any guilt she had inside her and either get rid of it or dump it on himself.

Rin was just about to say something about this when Luka came back inside. She looked back at Len, but he had already begun gazing out the window.

"Rin, what are you going to do about school tomorrow?" Luka asked, leaning on the wall.

"I think I might stay here with Dad," she said quietly. "I should stay with him."

Len took a pained breath. "You… Don't have to stay here…"

Rin turned around and smiled. "Yes, I- Dad, what's wrong?"

"Just some chest pain, that's all."

Luka shook her head. "That didn't seem like just chest pain. Rin, call the nurse. How bad is it?"

"Pretty… Pretty bad." He tried to hide the pained expression on his face.

Rin pressed the button that alerted a nurse. In a matter of seconds, she came bursting through the doors. After checking up on him, she called the doctor and a few other nurses. "Mr. Kagamine, from what I can tell, you've punctured a lung. We need to get you to the ER this instant."

His eyes widened and his gaze darted towards Rin. Her shoulders trembled and her hands rose to cover her mouth as a doctor and a few nurses flood into the room. "D-Dad…"

"I'll be fine, don't worry. Luka, keep an eye on her," he called as he was rolled out of the room.

Rin rushed to keep up. "I love you, Dad!"

Her words were drowned out by the sound of the ER doors slamming behind her, but she heard the faint response.

"I love you, too, Rin."

Rin buried her face into her hands as Gumi hugged her. "He's gonna be okay, I swear it. I swear it. He'll be fine."

All Luka could do is rub Rin's back gently, trying to offer what comfort she could. She wasn't good with teenagers. Kids, yes. Teens, no.

She sniffed and wiped a tear away from her eye. "Rin, he'll be fine."

Rin looked up through her dirty glasses, stained with tears and dust and smudges. Luka looked her in the eye and nodded. "He'll be fine," she whispered, pulling her into a hug.

She pulled away and leaned back in her chair. "You're really close to Len, aren't you?"

"I am. He raised me, after all." Gumi pulled and into a hug and Luka smiled.

She never really liked girls that much when she was their age. She thought the girls her age were just as critical as the adults, uncaring if they crushed someone's dreams. She preferred to hang out with guys, especially one guy; a nice boy in her class who was quiet and smart and cute.

He asked her out one day and she instantly said yes. The dated all through high school, but they then had to split up since she got a scholarship to a college in the neighboring state, where she studied meteorology.

She had loved him so much, and it broke her heart just as much as it broke his to leave him. She almost married a man she didn't love, but when she caught him with her "best friend", she ended it and came back to hopefully find him.

She was lost in thought when the doctor came inside. "Ladies, I have the results."

Rin and Luka stood up, eyes wide. Rin grabbed Luka's hand tightly, getting ready for whatever news he had.

"He's all good."

All three of them sighed greatly. Gumi put her arm around her friend and wiped a tear from her face. "See! I told ya he'd be fine. I swore it."

"However, the anesthesia hasn't worn off yet, but he should wake up in about fifteen minutes, I'd say. Would you like to wait for him?"

Gumi's mother gave Rin a hug. "Don't worry, honey, everything is fine. If you need to spend the night, don't hesitate to call. We should get going, Gumi's dad is waiting."

They said goodbye and Rin and Luka went into Len's room to wait for him to wake up. They sat on either side of him, holding both his hands.

Soon, his eyes fluttered and opened. His vision was blurry and he was extremely groggy. He groaned as he tried to focus his eyes.

"Ugh… R-Rin? Luka?" He blinked, trying to see if it was really them.

"Yeah, Dad, it's us," Rin said, leaning down to hug his middle

He placed a hand on the back of her head and smiled. "Good to see you." He felt that Luka hadn't let go of his hand. He smiled as his eyesight came into focus. "Hey, Luka."

"Hey, Len," she said, hunching her shoulders a bit. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

* * *

**Another crap ending. Crap.**

**I am SO SORRY for the late updates. Like I said, it's crazy. Then school and dance start Monday… Ughhhh…. It's unreal how busy I'll be….**

**I also apologize for the short chapter, but I really wanted to get it uploaded. And, the short will be next chapter as well.**

**I SOWWY**


	10. Love is in the Air :

**Got it on time! :D I'm happy cos I made the highest level on the dance competition team, and it's my first year competing :)**

* * *

Rin had decided to go to school anyways, to hopefully get her mind off worrying about her dad. She sitting with Gumi while waiting for the second bell to ring when Teto Kasane approached her. She was a very shy girl; not many people talked to her or hung out with her, as she always was drawing in class. She was also in Honors, but her science grade wasn't as good as the others.

"Rin? I heard about your dad," she said, tapping her two index fingers together.

Rin furrowed her brows. "Only two people know, how did you find out?"

"My dad is an anchor at the station and he told me about it. I won't tell anyone else, though." She smiled weakly and lowered her gaze. "I'm really sorry, I hope he gets better."

Rin grinned back. "Thanks."

"Do you mind if I stand here with you?"

Gumi glanced at Rin, who shrugged. "I guess," she said, readjusting the goggles on her head.

Teto was pretty tall, a bit taller than Gumi. She had always been teased for her height and her shyness, but she never seemed to mind. Rin always supposed she didn't care what other people said.

"So, Teto," Gumi said, "you've always been so quiet, why are you just now, you know, _talking_?"

Rin slapped Gumi's shoulder. "C'mon, that's rude! I'm sorry, Teto, Gumi is-"

"No, no, she's right. I wanted to finally have some friends, that's all. And you guys seemed nicer than the other girls."

"Thanks," Rin said, leaning back on a desk. "We try to be."

The bell rang and Teto accompanied them to their lockers. "Aren't you going to yours?" Gumi asked, slamming the metal door.

She shook her head. "No, I already have my stuff for science. I need to study."

Rin waved goodbye to Gumi and Teto and craned her neck over a small crowd. She gasped inwardly when she saw the tall boy, closing his locker and heading out the doors.

She ran to catch up with him. "Hey, Dell!"

He turned around and flashed a sparkling smile. At least, it sparkled to Rin. "Hey, Rin. What's up? Is your dad okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think he'll be fine, but that doesn't stop me from worrying."

They walked towards the carpool area, but Dell stopped in his tracks. "U-uh, Rin," he said quietly.

She turned around and smiled. "Yeah?"

Dell was blushing madly. He scratched his neck and cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact with Rin. "Well, I was just wondering… Cos, y'know…. Um…" He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something on it, then thrust it in her direction. "Here."

She took it and unfolded it. Inside it, in neat handwriting, it said, "Do you like me? Because I really like you. I'm sorry this is so cheesy."

She smiled and pushed up her glasses. She pulled a piece of paper out of her bookbag and asked if she could use his back to write on. He turned around and she wrote on the paper, trying to make her handwriting look decent. She folded the note and handed it to him. Inside, it read, "I do like you. And, don't worry, I think it's cute."

He grinned as his eyes flew over the words. By this time, they were both blushing madly. "So, um, I have a question," he said, folding the note back.

She giggled and they took a few steps forward. "Don't announce it, just spit it out!"

He laughed and turned towards her. "I was wondering if… If you would like to… Hang out sometime."

"I'd love to. I'll ask my dad."

"Yeah, it might be beneficial if I asked my mom…"

Rin smiled and started walking away. "Hey, I see my ride, so I'd better get going."

"Okay. I'll see you around, I guess," Dell said, waving.

They parted ways, and Rin walked over to Luka's car. She got inside and smiled. "You look happy," Luka said, starting the car.

"Yeah, I am. The guy I like just asked me on a date." Rin buckled her seatbelt and set her bag in her lap.

"Nice. That's good." She decided against repeating what Len had said about not liking him and just kept driving.

They soon arrived at the hospital. They walked into Len's room, where he was reading the book that Rin had brought him. He sat up as Rin gave him a hug. "Hey. How was school?"

Rin bit her lip. She didn't know how she was supposed to tell him.. _He said he would never get angry at me, right? He wouldn't be angry at me, though, he'd be angry at Dell…_

"Dell asked me on a date and I told him that I would love to but that I had to ask you first." She wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brows. "I can't believe I just used a run-on sentence."

Len raised his brows. "He.. Did?"

"Yes, he did. And… I would really like to go…"

He smiled gently and sighed. "Well…" _If I say yes, she'll be happy, but I won't. If I say no, I'll be happy, but she won't. Then she would probably get mad at me, which would be really bad, especially now. So, who am I to be selfish? _"You can go."

"Oh my gosh, seriously?"

"Yes, yes, now, please, let's change the subject…"

Suddenly, Rin's phone began ringing. It was a call from Gumi, asking if Rin wanted to come over and do homework. They intended to invite Teto, since they decided they would try to be friends with her. With Len's permission, she said yes and was picked up by Gumi's mom. She really didn't want to leave her dad, but she just accepted because she felt inclined to help Gumi and try befriending Teto.

Luka stayed in the hospital room, fiddling with her phone. She smirked and looked up at Len, who seemed very frazzled. "Can't believe it, can you?"

"No. It's happening faster than expected." He sat up and leaned against his pillow.

Luka blushed and hid her eyes. "Yeah, guess so."

He set his book down. "So, before what happened with you ex-fiancée, did you have any other boyfriends?"

_Being curious, as always, _Luka thought, putting her phone in her lap. "Yes, in high school. He asked me out, I said yes, and we dated until graduation. However, since I got a scholarship to Lucifen, I had to break up with him so I could focus on my studies. I hated having to break his heart, it broke mine, too. But now, I'm here," she said, taking a pause, "trying to find him."

Len smiled kindly. "My high school girlfriend broke up with me, as well. I loved her so much, I was planning on proposing to her. But, she left me. I would love to try to find her, but I simply don't have the time."

Luka looked away. "What high school did you go to?"

"Crypton."

She got up and sat beside him, smiling.

"I went there, too. It's nice to see you again, Len."

* * *

**I worked hard on this chapter! Hope all yall enjoyed it C: As promised, here is a random short! And, the in season thing should be for the next. I am such a procrastinator, lol.**

* * *

A shrill scream rang through the house and Len dashed into eight-year-old Rin's room. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Daddy, a spider! Kill it! Kill it!"

Len smiled and shook his head a bit. "Aw, it's just a little spider, it won't hurt you-"

He looked up at the window where she was pointed and screamed a bit himself, jumping back. There was a huge banana spider on the outside of her window, just hanging around.

"How does a spider get that big?" he said as Rin hid behind him. _I hope this kid doesn't want me to go out and get it off her window. Heck no. _

Since Len was the father, he had to endure the tasks of opening jars and bottles, helping with homework, and, of course, killing bugs. However, he absolutely _despised_ bugs; _especially _spiders. Bugs, and snakes. Either word made chills run down his spine.

"Are you going to kill it?" Rin asked, poking her head out from behind him.

He bit his lip. "I don't know," he replied quietly.

He walked over to the window and tapped on it, making the spider move. He jumped and leaned closer. He shivered when he saw it staring right at him, moving its legs.

"Are you scared of bugs?"

"I'm not scared of them, I just really can't stand them."

He felt quite strange saying this, considering how he was raised in the South. He had dealt with flies, mosquitoes, spiders, bees, wasps, hornets, ants (mostly fire ants), and a few others. He remembered he once stepped on a hornets' nest, (this is how they differ from wasps; their nests are in the ground) and his mother had to painfully remove the stinger. Let's just say he never walked outside barefoot again.

"Rin, why don't you go in the living room or something?" he said, trying not to let her see how much of a wimp he was.

She left just as he was comparing the spider to the size of a CD; in fact, it was a bit bigger. He banged on the window, turning his head away.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it move and he winced. It suddenly crawled away and he called Rin back inside as he closed her curtains.

He sat on her bed, still shivering. "Thanks, Daddy," she said, giving his a hug. "Why didn't you just tell me to beat on the window? If you hate bugs, I could've done it."

He hugged her back and sighed. _Jesus, my eight year old could've gotten rid of it more easily than I did. Those guys at school must've not been kidding when they said I was a wimp._


	11. Calling all readers, calling all readers

Hey guys!

Just wanted to let you know that I wouldn't be able to update as often, since I started school. Don't worry, I don't intend to discontinue! I'm working on the new chapter :)

Thank you for all the support and reviews! They mean so much. I tried getting on Fanfiction in computer class, but it was blocked. (?)

I should have the new chapter soon. Thanks!


	12. OH MY GAWD I'M SO SORRY

Hey you guys… So, you all prolly hate me for not updating until now, but things have been coming up like no one's business. And, school has made me so busy…

I know this chapter was short, but I really wanted to get something to yall. So here it is! Forgive me? :)

Len's eyes widened at Luka. She was the one who he had dated through school, the one he thought he'd eventually marry, the one he forced himself to forget about. All of a sudden, everything came back to him. He remembered the things he had made himself forget.

Her smile was solemn. "What is it?"

"Just… Taken aback," Len said, raising his brows. "I didn't think I'd see you again."

She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, here I am!" she joked.

Len chuckled, trying not to laugh too hard, since doing even that caused his chest to hurt. "My God, you sure have changed."

Luka used to be very small and shy with short hair and bangs. Now, she was almost as tall as Len, (which was quite tall) and had long hair with side-swept bangs instead. She had always been very pale and did not like to tan.

"You have, too," she replied, smirking.

In the beginning of high school, Len was short, rail-thin, and had absolutely no muscle. But, as he got older, he grew a lot taller and finally managed to get a bit of muscle just to say he had some. However, he could never put on any weight. His doctor in tenth grade had told him he was underweight and he tried to gain about fifteen pounds, at least, but he could only get about five.

"However, I didn't think that I would come back and see that you had a daughter," Luka said.

Len nodded. "Yeah. You know, I always saw myself with a son."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. A boy that I could teach baseball and football to. A boy I could watch the Saturday games with. You know the likes."

Luka chuckled and stood up to go plop on the couch. "You just wanted a boy for the sports."

He laughed. "Pretty much."

"You seem to enjoy having a girl, though." She propped her chin on her hand and crossed her legs.

"Of course I do. Rin means the world to me."

She bounced her foot up and down. She took a glance at her watch and gasped. "Crap! I just remembered that I had an extra shift today!"

She hopped up and grabbed her purse and her keys. "I have to go. Should I call Rin?"

"Please. Just tell her to ask Gumi's mother is she'd bring her over later," Len said.

Luka took her leave and picked up her cell phone when she got into the car. Rin answered on the first ring with a bubbly "hello".

"Hey, Rin. Your dad asked if you would ask Gumi's mom to bring you over to the hospital in a while. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. We just finished our homework, so I'll ask her now."

Soon enough, Rin was dropped off at the hospital. She bounced into Len's room, wearing a wide smile. "Hey, Dad. How're you feeling?"

Len smiled. "I feel okay. I still hurt a little bit, but it's not a big deal. I'll live."

He loved the way his daughter was able to make light of any stressful situation. It was like her smile was contagious, spreading around to everyone who saw it. Len chuckled and picked his book back up.

"That's good, I guess. I'd rather you be better than worse." She plopped on the couch, pulling out her phone and texting someone.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Len said, glancing up from his book.

Rin smiled weakly. She and Gumi had looked at some cute pictures of L and Light from Death Note. However, they were a bit… Yaoi-ish. The cute kind, though(mostly). She figured it would be best if she didn't share that detail. "Me and Gumi had a good time."

Len figured they spent their time after homework playing games or watching anime or something. He grinned.

"Hey, is Luka okay? Something seemed…. Different about her on the phone."

He sighed and looked away. "Remember what I told you about my first girlfriend?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"That girl turned out to be Luka."

Rin gasped. "Oh my God, Dad! That's so _cute_~!" Rin squealed, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

_I should've known she would say that… _Len though, gazing at his book.

Suddenly, Rin's phone rang. She looked at the ID and hastily answered. "Hey, you! What's up?"

"I was wondering how your dad was after the surgery. Is he okay?" Dell's smooth voice calmed her a bit, but it also made her blush.

"He's better, thanks for asking."

Dell smiled on the other end of the line. "That's great. And I, um… Also, I was gonna ask if…You were up to doing something later? I mean, I know this isn't the best time, but…."

Rin grinned to herself, glancing towards her dad. "No, sounds great."

Sorry for everything, I'll try to be quicker now! (I guess this means hand-writing chapters in class. Okay with me!)


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